Page 44 of Dirty Little Mistake

Nights like tonight weren't by invitation; everyone just showed up and hung out, but it felt different tonight, and it would until I fixed things with Jax.

I parked my car and shoved my car door open as the rumble of a motorcycle pulled in beside me. Jax.

Throwing my car door shut, I dropped my back against my car as he killed the engine and pulled off his helmet, ignoring me.

I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my brows. "How long are you going to do this?" His gaze shifted, meeting mine with practiced indifference. My fingers dug into my arms. "How long are you going to ignore me, Jax?"

Jax swung his leg over his bike with controlled precision, each movement deliberate. His helmet hit the seat with a dull thud. "How long would Kaia be dead if something serious had happened?"

"Seriously, Jax?" I pushed off my car and stepped forward. "You're never going to forgive me?" I threw my hands in the air. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for going. I'm sorry for putting Kaia in danger. I'm sorry."

He stood silently still for a long moment before sucking in a deep breath; his gaze met mine as he sighed. "What you did was stupid, but it wasn't just your fault. Kaia shouldn't have agreed to go." I nodded, but we both knew Kaia would never have gone to the Cages if it hadn't been for me. "You both could have been hurt, not to mention it's illegal, and if it had been raided, you both would have been arrested."

"I know." The words felt heavy on my tongue. My boots scuffed against the asphalt as I shifted. "And I'm sorry. I was just..." The rest of the sentence hung in the cool night air.

"Hurt. Angry." Jax's voice was quiet but firm, like he was handling something fragile. I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, nodding. "I don't know what's going on with you and Trystan, but if your hurt is clouding your judgment so much that you're willing to put yourself and your friend in danger, you should probably move on." My gaze dropped as his words hit me. "Trystan is my brother, and I love him, but I'm not sure he's the relationship type."

My gut twisted, and my heart broke. Jax was right, and I couldn't help but feel like he knew something I didn't. "You'reright. If a man wants to, he will, right?" I smiled, and he matched my energy. "So, what about you? Are you the relationship type?"

Jax's eyebrows shot up, a hint of his old playfulness returning. "Are you hitting on me?"

A laugh burst out of me. "Ew, gross, no." I scrunched up my face and took a step back for good measure. My voice shifted into an exaggerated imitation of his earlier tone. "I don't know what's going on with you and Kai, but you should probably get your shit together before you lose a really good thing."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jax's lips twitched into that infuriating smirk he always used when deflecting. His keys jingled as he fidgeted with them. "We should get inside before they send out a search party."

I rolled my eyes, watching him retreat behind his usual walls. No one would even notice we weren't there; he was just changing the subject, but I'd said my peace. If he didn't get it together soon, he was going to lose Kaia.

The heavy wooden door groaned open, releasing a wave of air conditioning and loud music. Cigarette smoke hung in the air, catching the multicolored lights from the small dance floor. Bodies packed the space between worn wooden tables and the old bar. Jax melted into the crowd, leaving me scanning faces, until I caught a flash of familiar blue eyes.

Owen.

He leaned against the scarred mahogany bar wearing faded jeans and his black team shirt with his baseball cap twisted backward. His grin widened, flashing his perfect white smile, and my stomach fluttered like it was filled with a million little butterflies.

Owen and I had always been just friends, but now I was teetering on the edge of possibly wanting something more. But I also didn't want to lose the friendship we had. I didn't want to lose the dynamic Kaia, Jax, and Owen had together if it didn'twork out between us. Something I hadn't thought about with Trystan.

We both stepped forward, moving toward each other in sync until we stood face-to-face in the middle of the dance floor. The fast-paced music shifted to something slower, and Owen held out his hand without saying a word. My gaze dropped from his eyes to his hand, and I smiled as I placed my hand in his before he pulled me into him.

Owen's breath tickled my ear, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "Fuck, you look beautiful tonight.

Heat bloomed across my neck, creeping up to my cheeks. Owen drew back just enough to meet my gaze, and the rotating dance lights caught the angles of his face. My fingertips tingled where they rested against his shoulders. Each inhale brought the crisp bite of his cologne, making my head spin more than the beer had.

Spinning me, he pulled my back flush against his front as we moved to the music. Our bodies swayed together as his arms wrapped around me, surrounding me with his heat, and I felt the evidence of what I did to him grinding against my ass. Goosebumps erupted across my skin as the heat of his breath teased the curve of my neck before he pressed his lips to the sensitive skin.

The song faded into something faster, breaking the spell. My skin felt electric, too warm. "I need a beer."

He smiled against my throat before pulling back. "Well, then, can I buy you a beer?"

"I would love that." His hand slipped into mine, tugging gently as he maneuvered through the crowd back to the bar.

We claimed two stools at the far end, where the music didn't drown out conversation. One beer turned into two, then three, as we traded stories.

Last call had thinned the crowd to the usual die-hards. The overhead lights had clicked on, harsh fluorescents replacing the forgiving dim of evening. Empty bottles clustered on tables like abandoned glass cities, and the sharp scent of cleaning solution cut through the lingering haze of beer and smoke.

"You need a ride home?" Owen asked, pushing out of the bar stool.

I shook my head. "No." I smiled. "But thank you. I drove, and since I'm too drunk to drive, I'm going to see if Kaia will drive me home."

Owen leaned forward, his elbows resting on the bar as that playful grin spread across his face. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

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